Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Kantian View
Thanks to modern developments in medical technology, people in advanced countries today live longer and stay healthy until they are relatively older. The technology, however, also allows some people to hasten their death and make it relatively pain-free. As a result, many patients suffering from unbearable pain of certain incurable illnesses from time to time ask their physicians to help them commit suicide. Any physician who is asked to do this is under an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, the physician is asked to help relieve one from pain and suffering. On the other hand, by helping a patient commit suicide the physician is assisting someone to commit murder even if it is the case of self-murder. This ethical case known as Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) is a controversial topic in the United States and elsewhere. Since it is an ethical issue, one way of resolving…...

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References:

Behuniak, S. (2011). Death with "dignity": The wedge that divides the disability rights movement from the right to die movement. Politics & The Life Sciences, 30(1), 17-32.

Brassington, I. (2006). Killing people: what Kant could have said about suicide and euthanasia but did not. Journal Of Medical Ethics, 32(10), 571-574.

Dickinson, G.E., Clark, D., Winslow, M., & Marples, R. (2005). U.S. physicians' attitudes concerning euthanasia and physician-assisted death: A systematic literature review. Mortality, 10(1), 43-52. doi:10.1080/13576270500030982

Gunderson, M. (2004). A Kantian View of Suicide and End-of-Life Treatment. Journal Of Social Philosophy, 35(2), 277-287. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9833.2004.00232.x.

Physician-Assisted Suicide
Should it be permissible for one to take his life?

Previously and now in many cultures, suicide has been considered as a best option in some certain situations of life. For example, in flashback we see Cato the Younger took away his life instead of living under Caesar. For stoics, suicide was a preferred and rational act and there was nothing immoral in suicide instead it was a best option (Long 1986, 206). On the other hand, In Christianity suicide is considered as an immoral act which defies God's will by being socially harmful and opposing the laws of nature (Edwards 2000). This outlook, to consider Hume' approach, disregards the fact that indenting suicide as an act that is possible, it is in no way countering God's will or nature (Hume 1986). However, the idea of permitting one to take away his life has negative impacts on public policy ethics…...

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Bibliography

BMA. 1998. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: Do the moral arguments differ? London: BMA.

Edwards, P. 2000. 'Ethics of suicide', in The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge, 870-71.

English, V. Romano-Critchley, G., Sheather J. And Sommerville, A. 2003. 'Ethics Briefings', Journal of Medical Ethics 29: 118-119

Hume, D. 1986. 'Of Suicide', in Singer, P. (ed.) 1986. Applied Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 19-27.

Physician-assisted suicide is a humane approach to dying and should be adopted legally in all states. Anyone who is terminally ill should have the right to choose how they die, specifically since they face death every day. Physician-assisted suicide is no more harmful than other methods of patient care that address patients needs, rights and desires. Given the fact that most terminally ill patients have a limited life to live, it is the duty of doctors and health care providers to see their rights and wishes are granted, even if those wishes include a hastened journey toward death. For many patients death is a far more optimistic outcome than living a life of pain and suffering.
The Argument

A growing body of health care workers, doctors and physicians currently support physician-assisted suicide as a compassionate and caring method to deliver ones last rights. Woodman (2000) points out that many health care workers…...

Physician-Assisted Suicide, And Active Euthanasia
In Favor of the Moral Permissibility of Active Physician-Assisted Suicide

According to Mappes and DeGrazia, Brock's support for voluntary active euthanasia is largely based on two ethical values that he regards fundamental (402). The values in this case include the well-being of an individual and individual autonomy or self-determination. Self-determination according to Brock has got to do with letting individuals chart their own destiny, that is, allowing individuals to make decisions for themselves (Mappes and DeGrazia 402). In Brock's opinion, the relevance of self-determination cannot be overstated. Self-determination allows an individual to become the author of his or her own destiny. However, for a person to be able to make sound decisions for himself, such an individual must possess either the competence or the capacity to make the decision in question. Thus in the opinion of Brock, euthanasia and its very scope could be limited in those…...

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Works Cited

Mappes, Thomas A., and David DeGrazia, eds. Biomedical Ethics. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.

In an article in the ritish journal Lancet, the doctor stated that he liked Helen right off the bat, and then issued this statement:
The thought of Helen dying so soon was almost too much to bear… on the other hand, I found even worse the thought of disappointing this family. If I backed out, they'd feel about me the way they had about their previous doctor, that I had strung them along, and in a way, insulted them (Hendin & Foley 2008, 1619).

This statement is shocking as neither hesitation nor a desire to not disappoint Helen's family should have been a factor in helping this woman take her life. This is a prime example of why people should not be allowed to help another in suicide -- physician or not. As humans, there are too many emotions ("Helen dying so soon was almost too much to bear") and abstract…...

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Bibliography

Birnbacher, Dieter. & Dahl, Edgar. Giving Death a Helping Hand: Physician-Assisted

Suicide and Public Policy. (New York: Springer; 1st edition, 2008), v.

Carlson, B., Simopolous, N., Goy, E.R., Jackson, a., & Ganzini, L. "Oregon Hospice

Chaplains' Experiences with Patients Requesting Physician-Assisted Suicide,"

Perhaps the most reasonable objection to physician-assisted suicide relates to the subjective element of quality of life and the degree to which that perception (on the part of the patient) is susceptible to temporary influence, such as from clinical depression or temporary physical pain or disability. To overcome that objection, it would be necessary to outline objective principles and guidelines capable of allowing physician-assisted suicide in justifiable situations while also prohibiting potential misuses and abuses.
econciling the Issues:

On one hand, there does not seem to be any legitimate justification for preventing a sane, healthy, competent individual from choosing death over prolonged agony, particularly where the condition responsible for the patient's pain is already terminal. On the other hand, the decision to end one's life is irreversible and should not be permitted to be implemented as a result of temporary conditions or states of mind. Medical error exists in all areas…...

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References

Humphry, D. (2002). Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted

Suicide for the Dying. Grand Junction, CO: Norris Lane Press.

Martindale, M. "Kevorkian: Jail Reform Is His New Cause" The Detroit News, Nov 17,

2007. Retrieved, June 30, 2009, from: detnews.com Web site, at  http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071008/METRO/710080323/1409

Physician-Assisted Suicide
Every person has basic rights to their own health and well-being. However, during tough times when an individual is suffering dramatically, there are ethical concerns whether or not they should be allowed to commit suicide with no other options. Although this is a patients' right to autonomy, it becomes unethical for a physician to assist in such demands, as physicians have a moral obligation to perform with beneficence and thus go beyond simple non-maleficence.

The case presented here is a tough ethical dilemma. Essentially, Roberta W. has every right to practice her own autonomy and do what she wants with her own life. Because of the discomfort she has been experiencing, along with the burden she feels she is on her brother and sister-in-law, Roberta W. sees death as a viable option to end her suffering. With no option for surgery, Roberta wants something to help end her suffering. From…...

At the very least, those that hold different opinions on physician-assisted suicide should agree that medical treatment must never be at odds with moral treatment. Even though medical treatment is specialized and often differs from the way human beings usually treat each other, medical treatment should never be placed in the position where it goes against the basic moral ideals of how human beings should treat each other.

As pointed out, there are many risks associated with the legalization and use of physician-assisted suicide. One of these risks has to do with the idea that persons who wish for assisted suicide might not be appropriately served by the legal system because of built-in prejudices and human error. In the end, it is obvious that American society has not yet figured out how to help those patients that desire assisted suicide without endangering those that do not. In essence, American society and…...

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Bibliography

End-Of-Life Choices." Internet. 2004. Accessed February 5, 2005.  http://www.endoflifechoices.org/learn/index.jsp .

Glanze, Walter D., Ed. Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary. 3rd ed. St. Louis, MO: C.V. Mosby Company, 1990.

Humphry, Derek, Comp. "Assisted Suicide Laws Around the World." Assisted Suicide. 18 September, 2003. Accessed February 5, 2005.   / suicide_laws.html.http://www.assistedsuicide.org 

Physician-Assisted Suicide
A Review of Relevant Literature and Popular Opinion

Physician-assisted suicide has become a hot topic of late and many people think it is about these physicians becoming killers. This is not true, however, despite the opinions that many hold. The main problem is that many feel that physician-assisted suicide will give doctors too much control over the deaths of their terminally ill patients. This is not the case, however, as physician-assisted suicide will actually give the terminally ill patients more control over their death, and therefore by extension, more control over their life. Not all physicians would be able to do this in good conscience but there are some, most notably Dr. Jack Kevorkian, that feel that they are capable of this type of practice in order to help the suffering of their patients.

Some patients actually request this because they cannot be helped by any modern means to get better…...

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Works Cited

Battin, M.P.(1994). The Least Worst Death. New York: Oxford University Press.

Brock, D.W. (1997). Physician-Assisted Suicide Is Sometimes Morally Justified. In Robert F. Weir (ed.), Physician-Assisted Suicide. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Brody, H. (1992). Assisted Death -- A Compassionate Response to Medical Failure. New England Journal of Medicine, 327: 1384-88.

Callahan, D. (1990). What Kind of Life: The Limits of Medical Progress. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

(Foley, 54; Braddock and Tonnelli). This again, is an argument based more on conjecture rather than solid evidence. hile it is true that depression may accompany many serious and terminal diseases and there are anecdotes about patients who changed their minds about suicide after treatment; no credible studies are available about how often it happens or even if antidepressant treatment would make patients requesting death, change their minds. (Angell, 52)
Kathleen Foley, in her article "Competent Care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide" observes that advances in modern medicine have made it possible to alleviate almost all kinds of pain and even when it is not possible to eliminate pain entirely; lessening it to a manageable level is almost always possible. She, therefore, feels that the problem is lack of proper pain management training for doctors and the solution is greater access to pain relieving medicine for everyone, rather…...

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Works Cited

Angell, Marcia. "The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide -- the Ultimate Right." The New England Journal of Medicine. 336:1. January 2, 1997: 50-53

Braddock, Clarence H. And Mark R. Tonelli. "Physician-Assisted Suicide." Ethics in Medicine: University of Washington School of Medicine. 2001. April 27, 2007.  http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pas.html 

Foley, Kathleen M. "Competent care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide." The New England Journal of Medicine. 336:1. January 2, 1997: 53-58

Hillyard, Daniel, and John Dombrink. Dying Right: The Death with Dignity Movement. London: Routledge, 2001.

Physician Assisted Suicide Arguments Both Sides Introduction: Why Is Physician-Assisted Death Controversial?
Physician-assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, is now legal in four American states as well as in several countries including Canada and the Netherlands (Appelbaum. 2016). Generally, physician-assisted death applies to patients diagnosed with a terminal illness. The request to terminate the life prematurely is based on the patient’s tremendous suffering. In Canada, for example, “pphysicians whose patients disclose a wish to die must always be listening for underlying deep sorrow,” (Chochinov, 2016, p. 253). However, it can be difficult if not impossible to determine whether a patient’s expression of sorrow is temporary, influenced by physical pain or exacerbated by underlying mental illness. Physician-assisted suicide can also be framed as a moral issue, with some physicians claiming that assisting a patient to die goes against the tenets of the medical profession (American Medical Association, 2018). This paper uses two scholarly articles…...

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References

American Medical Association (2018). Physician-assisted suicide. care/physician-assisted-suicide

Appelbaum, P.S. (2016). Physician-assisted death for patients with mental disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(4):325-326. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.2890

Chochinov, H.M. (2016). Physician-assisted death in Canada. JAMA. 2016;315(3):253-254. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.17435

Death with Dignity (n.d.). Terminology of assisted dying. https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/

Quill, T.E., Back, A.L. & Block, S.D. (2016). Responding to patients requesting physician-assisted death. JAMA. 2016;315(3):245-246. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.16210

Whitcomb, D. (2018). California judge tosses state’s physician-assisted suicide law. Reuters. May 15, 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-assistedsuicide/california-judge-tosses-states- physician-assisted-suicide-law-idUSKCN1IH00B

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-

ight-to-Die Opinion
Order ID: ight-to-Die Opinion

Suicide is a very emotionally and morally charged subject to many people. The reason for the discord and divergence of opinions comes from the different perspectives and directions. Some of these motives and viewpoints are based on morality beliefs, religion or a combination of the two. Others are based more on humanity, empathy and the belief that suicide can be a solution to end misery and chronic pain. Some hold that taking one's own life is selfish, immoral and damaging to family and friends. Others hold that such a decision should reside with the individual in question alone. While there is no single answer that will placate all pundits, scholars and ethicists, the right to die should be allowed under the care of a physician and provided that the necessary conditions are met.

Analysis

Perhaps one of the more strident views about suicide emanates from the Christian church,…...

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References

Ball, S. (2006). Nurse-patient advocacy and the right to die. Journal Of Psychosocial

Nursing & Mental Health Services, 44(12), 36.

Beauchamp, T.L., & Childress, J.R. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics (7th ed.).

New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die Abstract
More and more patients in and end-of-life phase are expressing a desire for physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option that allows them to die with dignity and forego the pain and suffering associated with their disease and deteriorating condition. Yet in most states in the U.S., physician-assisted suicide remains illegal. The policy of this paper would be for lawmakers to be encouraged to pass a bill that makes PAS legal at the federal level. By having the right to die, patients can choose to end suffering in a way sanctioned by society and law with the help of providers who view it as an ethically sound approach to quality care.
Policy Problem
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is an issue that touches on quality of life factors. PAS is a process by which a physician makes available to the patient the means for the patient to terminate his or…...

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References

AMA. (2018). Code of ethics. Retrieved from

Clark, N. (2014). The politics of physician assisted suicide. NY: Routledge. Death with Dignity Act. (1994). Retrieved from

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Pages/oars.aspx

Emanuel, E. J., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D., Urwin, J. W., & Cohen, J. (2016). Attitudes and practices of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jama, 316(1), 79-90.

Euthanasia. (2018). State by state guide. Retrieved from https://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132

Frey, L. M., & Hans, J. D. (2016). Attitudes toward assisted suicide: Does family context matter?. Archives of Suicide Research, 20(2), 250-264.

Herx, L. (2015). Physician-assisted death is not palliative care. Current Oncology, 22(2), 82.

Huxtable, R., & Mullock, A. (2015). Voices of discontent? Conscience, compromise, and assisted dying. Medical Law Review, 23(2), 242-262.https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/physician-assisted-suicide

right to terminate artificial life-Support system a practical condition on the successful practice of medicine?
Terminating artificial life support is often viewed as being qualitatively and ethically different from physician-assisted suicide or aid-in-dying. Withholding treatment is sometimes referred to as passive euthanasia (Steinbock, 2015). When in a fully cognizant, possibly healthy state of mind a patient had provided express written directives that artificial life support be withdrawn under certain specific conditions (also known as an advance directive), physicians may withdraw the life support if those conditions had been met.

Unfortunately, most cases of patients on life support are less clear-cut. The right to terminate artificial life support should not be one taken lightly, as insurers could too easily abuse their power by mandating the termination of life support in some situations in order to save money. On the other hand, terminating artificial life-support makes sense in cases like that of Terry…...

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References

"Assisted suicide and euthanasia: An exchange," (1997). The New York Review of Books. Nov 6, 1997. Retrieved online:  http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1997/11/06/assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia-an-exchange/ 

Kasimar, Y. (1997). Assisted suicide and euthanasia: An exchange. The New York Review of Books. Nov 6, 1997. Retrieved online:

That is, in understanding an issue or phenomenon, it is vital for the observer or the sociologist to put it into context in order to create the right "picture" of what is happening. For example, the structural functionalist perspective of criminology posits that crime occurs because of deviant behavior, and that deviance is but an inevitable part of the society. From this perspective, crime is the counterpart of society's function -- that is, a dysfunction that acts as a force or structure that balances the structure and order of human society. It is through the conflict between society's functions and dysfunctions that social change is stimulated, helping society develop. In the case of crime, it is an essential dysfunction in the society in order to help induce social change through the development of policies and laws that aim to maintain and observe the peace and order of human society.
Crime…...

"Physician-assisted suicide, a controversial and morally complex subject, has sparked intense debate, raising ethical concerns and highlighting the need for compassionate and individualized end-of-life care." Your thesis statement does a good job outlining the general topic of physician-assisted suicide and hinting at the moral complexities and ethical considerations involved. However, it could be strengthened by clearly stating your position or main argument on the subject. Are you in favor of physician-assisted suicide under certain circumstances, or do you believe it should never be allowed? Having a clear stance will help focus your research and writing, making your thesis statement more impactful.....

Thesis: Physician-assisted suicide, as a controversial topic surrounding end-of-life decisions, necessitates a comprehensive exploration of moral, ethical, and legal aspects in order to understand the potential benefits and consequences it may have on terminally ill patients and healthcare providers. One way to refine the thesis statement could be to focus on the specific impact of physician-assisted suicide on patients and healthcare providers. For example:

Revised Thesis: The moral, ethical, and legal considerations surrounding physician-assisted suicide raise important questions about the impact it has on terminally ill patients and healthcare providers, underscoring the need for a more nuanced examination of its implications on....

I. Introduction
A. Brief explanation of physician-assisted suicide (PAS)
B. Importance of the topic

II. Background
A. Historical context of PAS
B. Legal status of PAS in different countries

III. Arguments in Favor of Physician-Assisted Suicide
A. Autonomous decision-making
1. Patient's right to choose
2. Respect for individual autonomy
B. Alleviating suffering
1. Relief from unbearable pain
2. Improving quality of life

IV. Ethical Considerations
A. Medical ethics
1. Beneficence and non-maleficence
2. Respect for patient's autonomy
B. Religious and cultural beliefs
1. Views on the sanctity of life
2. Impact of diverse beliefs on PAS acceptance

V. Arguments against Physician-Assisted Suicide
A. Slippery....

1. The Hippocratic Oath, a seminal document in the history of medicine, outlines the ethical principles to which physicians are expected to adhere. One of the key tenets of the Oath is the commitment to do no harm to patients. This principle has been interpreted by many in the medical community as a prohibition against actions that directly cause harm or death to patients, including physician-assisted suicide. However, as advances in medical technology and changing societal attitudes towards end-of-life care have reshaped the landscape of healthcare, the question of how the Hippocratic Oath can reconcile with the ethics of physician-assisted....